Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called My son out of Egypt.

The Lord refers, in the first part, to the nation of Israel, while in its infancy, God called out of the land of Egypt. But the second part is a prophecy of Christ Jesus, the Son of God who, in a parallel way, God also called out of Egypt. This happened after Mary and Joseph had taken the infant Jesus down to Egypt to protect Him from King Herod, who sought to kill Him. Only after Herod died did Jesus return to Israel from Egypt.

Matthew 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My son.

The nation called Israel really started with the conversion of Jacob to becoming a man of God. After his conversion God called him Israel. From him, i.e. his children, came the 12 tribes of Israel. Continue reading →

In studying the prophecy in Daniel 9 there has been the issue of the misidentification of who the person is who is referred to by “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” in verse 27. Many Christians falsely teach that the “he” here is a reference to some coming future AntiChrist figure, but I am not alone when I have argued that it is a reference to the Messiah, who came and confirmed His covenant with His people on the Cross. Read Daniel 9 prophecy for the details to this.

Now, if you look at the three verses Daniel 9:25,26 and 27 (listed below) you can see a parallelism in the text. The first part of each verse refers to Messiah, while the last part refers to the city. First part, about the Messiah, is shown in grey text while latter part of each verse, referring to the destruction of the city, is shown in blue text.

Daniel 9:25Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall even in a troublous time.

Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off [killed], but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and to the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of the abominations, he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This then reinforces that the ‘he’ of verse 27 is the Messiah and not some AntiChrist figure. Besides the antecedent of the word translated as ‘he’ in verse 27, a singular individual, is the Messiah as evidenced in both verses 25 and 26.

Update: 25/3/2017

If you are wondering, actually, Christ is the one who shall “… cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of the abominations, he shall make it desolate.”

Christ is the one who terminates the Temple worship on the Cross when His sacrifice forever pays the price of our atonement and no further sacrifice is needed.

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:16-18).

“Causing the sacrifice to cease” has erroneously been attributed to some future AntiChrist figure, who allegedly stops the religious worship of the Jews in a new third Jewish Temple, which is yet to be built.

Also it was the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Sovereign God, who sent General Titus and the Roman legions to bring in all manner of abominations of Roman gods into Jerusalem and in 70 A.D. they destroyed the second Temple, stone by stone, and the city, laying it waste.

This has been erroneously assigned to some future AntiChrist who takes over the as yet to be built third Temple. But the AntiChrist is now in power and has been for a long time. Just turn your eyes towards Rome and see the one who claims to be Christ’s representative on Earth.

In John chapter 14 Jesus tells His disciples not to be worried because He has a plan and that plan includes a place (actually a ‘residence’) in heaven prepared for them.

John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

Firstly, Jesus identifies Himself as God (verse 1). He speaks with full knowledge as only the omniscient God can. Here He speaks in absolute terms. He does not say “If you stay away from sin, or if you are good, then I will give you a mansion in heaven”. No, His language is definite. The disciples were chosen and from the moment they were saved they had this promise of eternal life in heaven. But they were not saved until later, which we read in John chapter 20. That was after Jesus’ resurrection.

John 20:21,22 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive you the Holy Ghost:

It was then they were born again as real Christians. Jesus breathed His Spirit into them that they might be saved and have the Holy Spirit indwell them. This was a pivotal point in the lives of the disciples as it is in the lives of those saved by God now. All saved Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the believer an understanding of spiritual things (John 14:26). But at this time, in John 14, they did not have that understanding. Jesus said,

John 14:4,5 And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, Lord, we know not where You go; and how can we know the way?

Even though Jesus spoke of preparing a place for them in heaven, they did not understand. Jesus even said that they knew where and the way they knew also. But they didn’t have the understanding of the Holy Spirit to recognise it at that time.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him [Thomas], I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me.

Sometimes you hear about a story that is so ‘way out’ there that you just cannot possibly believe it could be true. It is so bizarre that you think that only some conspiracy nut would believe it. But what if I told you a story, which begins about a hundred years ago, that resulted in what most of the modern-day scientific establishment believes in regards to the origin of the Universe? But the following is just a story. You can call it historical fiction if you like. Call it ramblings of a mad man if you must!

The story begins with a journalist who uncovers a story that very few believe to be true nowadays. What he found is very different from the usual story. The usual story that journalists feed us is that the Universe started off in a big bang 13.8 billion years ago and since that time stars and galaxies formed and eventually our solar system formed about 5 billion years ago.

The usual big bang story

From that, about 4.5 billion years ago, the planet we call home cooled from the solar nebula and eventually oceans and dry land formed. Following that in some ocean spray, or maybe near a deep-sea vent, life began all by itself, and over the ensuing billions of years all life evolved to its current state. This usual story though is really all fiction. So what is really the truth?

What if I told you that that story was the invention of a secret (or dark) religious fraternity that wanted to deceive the world’s scientists and the general public? What if I told you that their story was a total fabrication designed to give a scientific gloss to a pagan belief system? What if I told you that that story is now accepted as scientific dogma and has replaced the real truth in the minds of most humans currently alive on planet Earth today? And as a result, most of the world believes in a total fictional story. Most of the world believes in a story about as far from the truth as you could imagine. Once the world believed in true history. That has now been supplanted by the efforts of that dark fraternity, which continues to work behind-the-scenes to maintain their fiction in the minds of the wider community.

One hundred years ago a young man, Albert Einstein, while working in a patent office in Bern Switzerland, developed a radical new theory, a geometrical way of describing space and time and, in particular, it described how the presence of matter affected measurements of those quantities. For mathematicians and scientists working to try to understand the structure of the Universe its introduction brought a revolutionary perspective. It introduced a way to interpret newly obtained observational data from the cosmos, that is, newly obtained in the early 1900’s.

Astronomers were starting to realise that the Galaxy—our Galaxy, which we call the Milky Way—was not the only galaxy in the Universe and that all those nebulae, which were previously thought to be clouds of stars, gas and dust, were in fact more galaxies outside of our own. Quickly the picture of the Universe changed. New large telescopes gave unprecedented amounts of more data, precise measurements of the locations, brightness and other optical properties of these newly realized galaxies. As a result the thought began to emerge, that perhaps these new data meant that mankind could find its own answer to the age-old question of, not the structure of the Universe, but more importantly, the origin of the Universe. Continue reading →

Yet Australia is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Australian charity White Ribbon Australia claims to work to prevent violence against females but aren’t half of all unborn babies females?

Scripture tells us:

“Also in your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents…” (Jeremiah 2:34)

When a national government stands by and either condones this or ignores the plight of the innocent then that nation will eventually fall. This is what happened to the Roman Empire. That culture developed to cast off their unwanted children (particularly girls) allowing them to perish on the city walls by leaving them to the beasts and the environment. They even developed abortion techniques by chemical means. Nowadays the same practices are rampant in the western World. In regards to what would seem to be the practice of protecting women and girls against violence it now seems the very charity that claims to do so also supports the legalisation of killing babies in the womb. Continue reading →

Like this:

All saved Christians receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes some get a big dose of it at salvation, sometimes some get it at another time, but all believers have the Spirit of God dwelling in them otherwise they are not of Christ. (All bold are my emphases added. Square brackets [ ] indicate meanings of words. King James Version Easy-Reading Bible (KJVER) used.)

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit upon their rebirth–their salvation.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel [good news] of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.

No believer can be without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh [i.e. not controlled by the flesh], but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

The Apostle Paul hits it from two sides. If you are saved the Spirit of God dwells in you and if you don’t have the Spirit of God in you then you are not saved. God wanted the message to be very clear.

Some ask for the Holy Spirit, others just get zapped the moment they receive Jesus Christ, but all get the Holy Spirit regardless of their circumstances. Read Holy Ghost Baptism. It is given as a seal (or proof) of salvation and as the power to witness for Christ. Continue reading →

Some erroneously teach, in my opinion, that a saved regenerated believer in Christ can lose his salvation and become un-born-again, unregenerate, through some action on his or her own part. While discussing this one day with a Christian brother, who believes such is possible, I asked him for a biblical text in support of the idea. He gave me 2 Peter 2:19 and 20.

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants [slaves] of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage [enslaved]. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Reading that passage it does almost seem to support such a notion, except when you put it in its original context. And also it brings up a concept centred on the meaning of the word ‘overcome’ as used in the Bible. Since we are admonished (2 Timothy 2:15) to rightly handle the word of truth, let’s look into this matter a little more. (All bold are my emphases added. Square brackets [ ] indicate meanings of words. King James Version Easy-Reading Bible (KJVER) used.)

2 Timothy 2:15 Study [Be diligent] to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The Authorized version uses the word ‘dividing’ which I believe captures the point very precisely. We need to divide truth from error. Continue reading →

Christ said that before He returns there would only be one sign to herald His coming.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were,so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Theologians have interpreted this to mean that the conditions of the world would be the same as those that were before the Flood. This is indicated by the following verse.

Matthew 24:38,39 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, 39 And knew [understood] not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

And the world does seem to have gotten into the same state now, maybe it is even worse. When discussing this a few days ago with a friend he suggested something that really struck a chord with me.

On July 7, 2016 the Ark Encounter1 opened for visitors in Williamstown, Kentucky (see Fig.1), an actual-size replica of Noah’s Ark (157 m, 510 ft long). It is located inland, far from water, and used by Answers in Genesis to educate people about the size of the Ark and other issues related to the Earth destroying global flood in Noah’s day,2 that resulted the death of all air-breathing land dwelling as well as all flying creatures. But most importantly it meant the death of all humans except for those 8 that were on the Ark, Noah, his wife, Noah’s 3 sons Shem, Ham and Japheth and their wives.

When I was a young child, I used to play on Shinto shrine grounds. I went there to catch cicadas in summer and gather nuts in autumn, in the thick woods surrounding the shrine buildings. I became a Christian in 1989, and since then have seldom gone to Shinto shrines. However, I happened to enter the grounds of a shrine in April 2016, when I was hiking down a mountain. Looking around, I was surprised, because I realized the structure of the shrine resembled Israel’s tabernacle despite the fact that it looked very Japanese.

Figure 1 is the photo I took then of the Amada Shinto shrine. Figure2 is a bird’s eye view picture which was displayed at the entrance of the front building, from which we can learn about the structure. The peculiar gate (Fig.3) which stands in front of the shrine represents the first border which separates the holy place from the secular world. Those who come to pray usually have to come through the gate and then wash their hands and mouths at the water place on the right hand side, called ‘Temizuya’ (Fig. 4). This reminded me of a verse in the Old Testament.

He put the washbasin (laver) between the Tent and the altar and filled it with water. …. his sons washed their hands and their feet there whenever they went into the Tent or the altar, … (Exodus 40:30-32)

Turn your eyes towards Memphis (Egypt), for out of it shall come theGreat Confusion! The author of confusion is even now marshalling his forces for this Great Confusion! He is gathering his forces from a great nation and eastern nations, friends that will join with him. So sudden will be the Great Confusion, that it will cause a mighty widening of the eyes of those who have not discerned the signs of the times. But be ye not deceived! Be prepared! And be not deceived by the great society, for it will come to travail and then bring forth the Great Confusion! Be prepared! Even now the skies are red, red with warning, and black, black with clouds gathering for the great confusion, which is almost upon you!

In 1965 Virginia Berg received this prophecy, which she called the Warning prophecy. The first paragraph was given to her in the middle of the night. She said that God woke her out of a deep sleep and told her to start writing. She obeyed; the prophecy was the result. Please note the bracketed word Egypt was not part of the prophecy; it is an interpretation that God meant Memphis Egypt.

In 1974 as a young Christian on hearing this prophecy I was spurred on to reach people with the gospel of salvation by Jesus Christ. Now 42 years later I have looked at this again. Whether or not this is a true prophecy from God, the message in it I believe is amazingly resonant with our times now.

Back in the 1970’s I was taught and I accepted the notions that are described as part of the futurist interpretation of Bible prophecy. I believed at that time in a rise of a future AntiChrist and that he would sign a 7-year peace pact centred on the Middle East, especially Israel. Eventually he would rule the world. After a period of Great Tribulation, I believed, he would be defeated by Jesus Christ Who returns at His Second Coming.

This tract shown here I used to hand out on the streets in Australia, warning people of the impending peril that was coming. In the 1970’s and 80’s the world went through a great fear of nuclear war, which passed when the Soviet Bloc broke up and the Cold War ceased. Since then also I have come to no longer believe in the Jesuit inspired false interpretation of Bible prophecy (futurism). I never believed in the John Darby Nelson concept of dispensationalism and pre-Tribulation Rapture though that is a branch of futurism. Now I believe that we are coming towards the end of the “Church Age”, which is symbolised by the 1000-year period in Revelation chapter 20, called the Millennium, except it is much longer than 1000 years. I also believe that we are in the period towards the end of that called by some the “little season”, where Satan is loosed or unbound from the pit he was bound in during the Church Age (see Revelation 20 study for details).

I believe now though that there is an interpretation of this Warning prophecy, which uncannily makes a lot of sense: Continue reading →